Chapter 2: No More Pretending, Time to Reveal the Truth

Yuya Asakawa stared unblinkingly at the inexplicable scene unfolding before him. In the heart of modern society, right under the watchful eyes of the police, a monk and a cat demon were locked in a standoff, the wind carrying the scent of chaos. Everyone held their breath, mesmerized, curious to see what methods this master would use to subdue the demon.

"Meow!"

The three-tailed bone cat let out a piercing shriek, transforming into a black streak as it darted wildly around the room. Its razor-sharp claws left deep gouges in the walls and furniture, moving at a speed far greater than when it had first attacked them. The officers turned pale; this was a speed beyond the limits of human perception. They wondered if the master could withstand it.

"Hmph! How dare a mere trifle attempt to show off in front of me? Taste my staff!" Chiriku’s eyebrows bristled like an angry guardian deity. His monk’s staff erupted with golden light as he raised it and brought it crashing down!

"Boom!"

The ground shook—literally. The onlookers felt the earth tremble beneath their feet, as if they were standing at the epicenter of an earthquake, leaving them unable to keep their balance. Dust filled the air, choking them into a fit of coughing. When the dust finally settled, they rubbed their eyes to assess the situation, and their jaws nearly hit the floor.

The dilapidated house had been reduced to ruins. Over half the roof had collapsed, and three and a half walls were reduced to rubble scattered across the floor. The scene was a chaotic wreck; the white chalk outline previously drawn around the victim was buried under debris, with only one of the victim's feet sticking out, a final gesture of stubbornness.

Asakawa and his team felt their eyelids twitch. Was this the destructive power of a single strike from that staff? It was terrifying. The worldview they had built—already shaken by the internet age and a waning belief in materialism—was being reshaped once more. With a single blow, the monster they had failed to harm even after emptying their magazines had been annihilated. Was such destruction truly possible for a human?

Amidst the ruins of the house, the tall monk pressed his palms together. "Amitabha."

The group looked at the three-tailed bone cat that had been terrorizing them moments ago. Now, it was half-dead, pinned under the monk’s staff. Its three bone tails were shattered, its body nearly crushed flat, with only its skull twitching feebly—clearly on the verge of death.

Chiriku tilted his head slightly, his expression compassionate. "Three-tailed bone cat, you are too dangerous. I must excise you to bring peace to the souls of those you have harmed."

...Master, it’s basically already dead.

Asakawa asked tentatively, "Master, could you... leave this cat demon to us for processing?"

Chiriku shook his head slightly. "A demon's body is infused with miasma. If an ordinary person touches it, they will die at worst, or become a demon-ghost at best. To be safe, I must perform a rite of passage for this demonic corpse."

With that, Chiriku sat cross-legged, closed his eyes, and entered a state of serene meditation. A halo of Buddhist light manifested behind his head. "Om Vaisravanaya Svaha..."

As the endless chanting of the sutras filled the air, the officers felt an inexplicable sense of calm wash over them. Everything that had just occurred seemed like passing smoke, unworthy of concern. Under the glow of the Buddhist light, the corpse of the three-tailed cat dissolved into firefly-like specks of light, vanishing in a way that defied their understanding.

When the light faded, the group finally regained their senses, feeling dazed. Asakawa was the first to regain his composure and stepped forward. "Master Chiriku, that... has the demon been completely dealt with?"

Chiriku nodded. "It was but a minor demon. Having tasted my staff and received the rite of passage, there is no chance it will ever reappear in this world."

Asakawa breathed a long sigh of relief and was about to speak again, but Chiriku beat him to it. The monk stepped forward, seemingly ignoring the weight of the concrete and steel, and lifted the wall and roof that had been pinning the homeowner with a single hand.

"Amitabha. You suffered needlessly in life, and that is a great sorrow. Let me perform a rite of passage for you. May you find peace in the Western Paradise. Namo Amitabha..."

Chiriku recited the sutra softly, and the familiar Buddhist light shone once more. In a momentary trance, the officers seemed to see the homeowner bowing to the master in gratitude. When the final syllable of the sutra died away, the light illuminating the room faded.

Asakawa stepped forward again, only for Chiriku to speak first.

"I am but a simple monk from Senso-ji Temple. If you have any urgent matters, you may go to the temple to see the abbot."

With that, he gripped his staff, took a step forward with his left foot, and vanished in a blur before their very eyes.

"So, this is the true side of the world..." one officer muttered, his expression complex.

Asakawa’s hand hung in mid-air, words unspoken. He sighed and took a cigarette from his pocket, returning to his original purpose.

"Section Chief, I don't think it's appropriate to smoke at a crime scene," an officer said softly.

Exhaling a ring of smoke, Asakawa glanced at his subordinate, Ikuko Kobayashi, his eyes gradually turning into deadpan "fish eyes."

"Do you think there’s any point in preserving this scene now?"

Kobayashi blinked, looking at his colleagues who were excitedly discussing the event amidst the ruins, and scratched his head in embarrassment.

I guess not.

Seeing her foolish expression, Asakawa sighed helplessly and continued, "I don't think the priority is the scene anymore."

Kobayashi’s expression sharpened. "You're right, we must immediately contact..."

"An ambulance."

"Eh?"

Asakawa calmly pointed to the wound on his own abdomen, then to the claw marks on the chests of his foolish subordinates, and repeated, "An ambulance."

A brief, heavy silence followed.

"Sssss—I'm dying, I'm dying!"

"Ambulance! I need an ambulance!"

...

At Sobu High School, in the back row by the window of Class 2-B, a handsome youth rested his chin on his hand, seemingly admiring the scenery outside.

[Three-Tailed Bone Cat]
[Level: Tier 2]
[Abilities: Bone Hardening, Extreme Speed]

Shira Shiratsuyu, a transmigrator, an orphan, and now a high school student tasked with "saving" the world.

The reason for the question mark was that the three-tailed bone cat just destroyed by the monk named Chiriku was his own creation. But to label him a great villain for that would be biased. Although the bone cat he created had killed several people, they were all gang members. Although it had hurt the police, they had attacked first. Although...

Fine, he wouldn't pretend anymore. He'd show his cards: the locals died—hooray!

*Whew*, that felt much better.

Before him, an ancient scroll that no one else could see or perceive slowly unfurled, recording the information of the three-tailed bone cat. According to his experiments, as long as he had enough "willpower," he could bring his creations to life, command them, and even take control of them if necessary. Based on his decade of life here and the tests after the scroll finished loading, he had basically determined that this was a purely technological world devoid of the supernatural.

But that was in the past. Now that he had arrived, this world would have its gods.